Norton’s Red Lion set for new ownership by family-run team

The Red Lion in Norton, on the junction of Norton Road and Harland Place, will soon reopen after briefly closing earlier this year, following a short-lived stint under previous management.

Now, the County Durham team behind another successful local pub have stepped in, hoping to breathe new life into the well-known venue.

The family-run team previously took over The Village Tavern in Coxhoe, to prevent it from closing, and is about to celebrate the first anniversary there on May 9.

One of the owners, Leanne Storr, 44, from Coxhoe, said: “We took over The Village Tavern last year, and to be honest, we just kind of winged it. We didn’t really know what we were doing at first, but we loved it.

“It’s our local pub – we didn’t want it to close and wanted to make it work. Since then, we’ve been looking for somewhere else because we have a great team and some really good staff, and we thought now’s the time to branch out.”

The family will officially take over the Red Lion on May 18, bringing with them a year of experience.

Leanne will run the pub with her sister Jill Shaw and both of their partners, Andrew Shaw and Matthew Storr.

She said she was “excited” to be bringing the popular pub back to life.

“Some of us are familiar with the village, and some of us weren’t, but we really liked it,” she said.

“It’s a lovely place, and when we went to look at The Red Lion, we felt it was something we could take on. After the checks and formalities, we got offered it recently, so we decided to take the risk and see if we can do it again.

The Red Lion (Image: Parker Barras)

“It’s definitely a bigger place than the one we’ve got, so it feels a little intimidating, but we’re all really excited to see where we can take it. We’ve got lots of plans, and we want to make it welcoming for everyone in the village.”

Those plans include scrapping the previous dress code, introducing happy hours and all-day offers, and putting on live music and events.

The 44-year-old said: “We want to have local bands and artists, maybe some karaoke nights, and put in a pool table and darts board. It’s about giving people a reason to come in, enjoy themselves, and feel like it’s their pub.”

Leanne and her team said they hope to make it a hub for the village once again.

She said: “We’re all about keeping things simple – good prices, good people, and a pub you’ll want to come back to.

“We want to make it a proper, welcoming pub atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.”